Chapter 39. Precious at
“Ow!”
A scrawny young servant was kicked out of the kitchen. Imdiately after, the burly figure of Fatty Wang strode out, his face full of vicious ferocity.
“Get lost! If any of you can’t keep your eyes in check, I’ll gouge them out with a knife!”
The servant knelt on the ground, hurriedly begging for rcy, kowtowing repeatedly.
Fatty Wang ignored him. The mont he saw Xu Yuan in his blue robe, his expression instantly changed into a smile. He quickly stepped forward and said, “Ah! A martial artist has graced us with his presence. I failed to welco you properly—what instructions do you have for ?”
The other servants working nearby all looked over, their eyes filled with curiosity and awe. They had never seen this martial artist before.
“I used to be a servant here as well. I just ca back to take a look,” Xu Yuan replied calmly, glancing at him.
“Oh! So it is a hidden dragon erging from the abyss, returning ho in glory! This is truly a misunderstanding among one’s own people!” Fatty Wang exclaid with exaggerated delight, praising him endlessly, though a trace of confusion flickered in his eyes.
This young man had already beco a two-striped retainer at such an age—his aptitude must be extraordinary. And he had co from here… yet why did he have no impression of him at all?
If it had been Wang Huan, he would have recognized him. But Xu Yuan had always kept a low profile, and with so many rotating servants, it was difficult to rember.
“It is almost noon. Would you like to have a simple al here?” he asked cautiously.
“No need. I am waiting here for Instructor Feng.”
As Xu Yuan finished speaking, a clear voice suddenly ca from the distance.
“Is Xu Yuan here?”
Feng Xiao had been on his way to eat when he spotted Xu Yuan from afar. Dressed in a blue robe, standing tall and upright, he carried an undeniable air of confidence.
While feeling emotional inside, Feng Xiao smiled and lightly reproached him, “You should have inford earlier. Why wait until now?”
Seeing how familiar the two were, Fatty Wang excused himself and tactfully left.
“I just happened to have so free ti, so I ca by,” Xu Yuan said with a smile.
After eting, Feng Xiao first asked about the assessnt results. Then, noticing the food box in Xu Yuan’s hands, he felt both pleased and reproachful. He led Xu Yuan toward his residence while saying,
“You just broke through, and your monthly stipend has not even been issued yet. We could have simply eaten back there—why spend extra money?”
He genuinely ant well. If it were soone else, they would have wanted a grander display to save face.
Feng Xiao’s room was rather simple. It was not large, containing only a bed, a small table, and a storage chest. There were few belongings, but everything was neat and tidy.
Xu Yuan set down the food box and laid out the dishes one by one. When he opened the final container, a rich fragrance imdiately filled the air.
“This is… precious at?” Feng Xiao asked in surprise.
“Indeed. Instructor Feng has a sharp eye.”
This was one of the benefits Xu Yuan gained after advancing to the second ridian. Aside from free als, he could purchase one jin of precious at at an internal price of two qian of silver.
For comparison, ordinary pork or mutton cost only a few dozen copper coins per jin. The price of one jin of precious at could buy over ten jin of regular at.
After registering, Xu Yuan had gone to the Pill Hall to purchase the precious at, then brought it to a restaurant outside to have it cooked, adding other dishes and wine before bringing everything over.
Hearing this, Feng Xiao looked at Xu Yuan with a complicated expression, deeply gratified. He picked up his chopsticks, took a slice of precious at, and placed it into Xu Yuan’s bowl.
“This is a good thing. It can build Qi and blood, strengthen bones, and reinforce the body. But giving it to is sowhat wasteful… I have been stuck at the second-ridian bottleneck for years. No matter how much my Qi and blood increase, it is of little use.”
“Whether it helps or not, enjoying good food is reason enough. I have heard this precious at is famously tender.”
As Xu Yuan spoke, he also placed a slice into Feng Xiao’s bowl. Then he took a bite himself.
The at had no gay taste at all. It was incredibly soft and tender, lting on the tongue the mont it touched.
Clearly, the restaurant was experienced in preparing this kind of at—the flavor was excellent.
After swallowing, Xu Yuan felt a warm sensation spread through his body. It was gentle and not overwhelming, bringing a soothing, nourishing comfort.
“How is it? The taste is not bad, right? The effect of this precious at is even slightly better than that of Blood-Activating Pills. During this period, your speed of refining Qi and blood will increase significantly.”
Feng Xiao smiled as he spoke.
“However, this item is difficult to obtain and relatively scarce even within the Shangyang Residence, so second-ridian martial artists are limited in how much they can purchase.”
Xu Yuan silently circulated his Qi and blood. As expected, the effect was remarkable, and his eyes lit up. “It truly is a good thing!”
He then asked, “By the way, Instructor Feng, where does this precious at co from?”
“What, are you tempted?”
Feng Xiao glanced at him with a smile and explained, “I do know a bit about it.”
“The na ‘precious at’ sounds impressive, but in truth, it is nothing extraordinary—it is simply the flesh of spirit beasts.”
“They are different from us martial artists. They grow based on their innate physiques, feeding on natural treasures and spiritual springs in the mountains. Over ti, they develop spiritual nature and are thus called spirit beasts.”
“Based on the depth of their coloration, they are divided into levels from one transformation to nine transformations, corresponding to the nine stages of ridian opening for martial artists.”
After briefly explaining spirit beasts, he added with a sigh, “These creatures are treasures from head to toe. Their hides can be made into armor that can defend against and weaken force. As for the at—you already know its effects: enhancing Qi and blood and strengthening the body.”
“It is said that there are even higher-level spirit beasts, but those are beyond what we can know.”
Xu Yuan listened with great interest. This world was indeed far from simple, filled with all kinds of rare and extraordinary creatures.
“Back to business.” Feng Xiao coughed lightly and took a sip of strong liquor.
“The day after tomorrow, you will choose your assignnt. These spirit beasts are not difficult to encounter. If you are assigned to guard dicinal fields, you will run into them from ti to ti—they can be quite troubleso…”
“Besides that, there are other types of assignnts.”
Hearing this, Xu Yuan beca attentive. He raised his cup and clinked it lightly with Feng Xiao’s. “Please go on, Instructor Feng.”
Feng Xiao drained another cup, a faint flush appearing on his face.
“In recent years, the Shangyang Residence has developed rapidly, acquiring most of the businesses and land in the Prefecture City. Only the northwest area remains under the old-established power—the Bai Family.”
“Our assignnts are generally within the eastern part of the Prefecture City. Based on proximity to the Bai Family’s territory, they are divided into four levels—from Level One to Level Four areas.”
“The deepest area is Level One, located behind the Shangyang Residence itself. It has been managed for a long ti, is rich in benefits, and is also very safe. But without connections, do not even think about getting in.”
Xu Yuan found this entirely reasonable.
After so many years of operation, the Shangyang Residence would naturally place its families and dependents in that rear area. Those circulating within it were all connected by kinship or relationships—ordinary people would never be able to enter.
…
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